The
recent Thomas Kinkade death of 2012 has left many in the art world
reeling. His wonderfully inspirational
portraits of nostalgic and simplistic American values are seemingly in direct
contradiction to the secret and sometimes dark personal life that the artist
endured. Although he was perhaps the
world's most financially successful artist of all time, the Kinkade death is
painting a somewhat bleaker picture.

Cause
of Death

Within
days of his passing, the Santa Clara, California Coroner announced the cause of
death. This ethereal artist of snow
capped churchyards, of mid-century trolley cars, of lighthouses and cottages in
beautiful forestry settings was said to have died from an accidental overdose
of Valium and alcohol.

Who could ever imagine that such beautiful
visions of artistry could be created from the very same hand that abused the
same types of drugs as rock legends and movie stars? His pictorial images of peace, harmony and
Christian goodness seemed to mask a more deceptive and disappointing everyday
life.

The
Warning Signs

Hindsight
is 20-20. There were many warning signs
in the years preceding the Kinkade death.
He had recently separated from his wife, Nannette, the very woman in
whom he was so very mesmerized that he consistently hid her name and initials
in numerous of his paintings. He had
been arrested for driving under the influence, and had endured countless legal
battles after taking his company public in 1994.

Before
the Thomas Kinkade death, he had been reported to have urinated on a Winnie the
Pooh character at a Disney amusement park and was even witnessed heckling
Siegfried and Roy at one of their Las Vegas events. He apparently sounded the word
"codpiece" several times consecutively. It seems that artists really are
"tortured souls".

Financial
Struggles and Legal Woes

Even
though Kinkade was in the midst of severe financial issues, even filing
bankruptcy, there seems to be a battle beginning for the rights to his name and
future profits.

Kinkade
was always under attack from art critics who deemed his style unworthy of his
impressive financial success. The added
stress of these remarks and his constant court dealings with his franchisees
left him paying millions in legal fees and judgments. In one case alone, he was ordered to pay $2.8
Million for defrauding two owners of his galleries. He had over 350 franchisees in total.

The
Battle Continues over the Kinkade death

Even
though Kinkade was still legally married to his wife of over 30 years, Nanette,
he had taken a recent live-in girlfriend for the 18 months prior to his
death. The girlfriend, Amy Pinto-Walsh,
is said to have been the one to have discovered Kinkade's body.

Now
the decision has to be made as to whom will inherit the Thomas Kinkade property
and business holdings. With recent
surges in the value of his paintings since the Thomas Kinkade death, there may
be a big battle ahead for Kinkade's family.